NORTH BERWICK, Maine — "To encourage, develop, and promote volunteer service and community learning opportunities to students throughout the district."

The above mission statement from the virtual Community Engagement Center embodies the fundamental principles that individuals involved in the program have strived for nearly a year now to achieve.

Beginning last July, the Community Engagement Center formed as a product of the 'Our Kids, Our Community' Initiative.

This process seeks to develop a solid partnership between the MSAD 60 school district and individuals, organizations, and businesses to provide students with increased opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to prosper beyond high school.

"We wanted to open up the school doors to the community," Rebecca Manning, the Community Engagement Coordinator explained. "Allowing community members the ability to feel more welcome was very important."

The virtual center's website allows students the ability to connect with organizations for future volunteer opportunities. All businesses must complete routine background checks before they appear on the center's website.

The program is open to any student from kindergarten through Grade 12 regardless of whether they have an interest or skill in a certain field.

"Sometimes people don't know what they have to offer," explained Meaghan Arzberger, manager of Volunteer Engagement at United Way of York County. "But we have a very strong support system. Everyone involved provides a great deal of encouragement."

And other communities are taking notice.

"This is certainly a progressive system," Manning explained. "We want this to be a part of our community as a whole, not just a part of Noble High School. As a continually growing program we would like to see this concept reach other areas besides our three towns."

For now, students from the three communities — Berwick, North Berwick and Lebanon — are taking advantage of the benefits.

One student volunteered at a local dog wash. She's now in school studying to become a veterinarian.

At-risk students have also benefited from the program. The CEC's structure allows students to participate in work that keeps them from engaging in troublesome behavior.

Businesses and nonprofit organizations have been more than willing to take on students. Some of the benefits for employers include:

n more volunteers

n teamwork promotion for increased job productivity

n support for a company's reputation in the community through greater visibility and networking

n increased employee satisfaction.

"The Community Engagement Center has truly come from the community," Arzberger explained. "Employers are starting to realize the socioeconomic impacts this system can have. Students leave economic ties when they leave these businesses. And who knows, they may end up volunteering with a future employer."

Looking to the future, both Manning and Arzberger hope to increase public awareness of the Community Engagement Center. They both agree that the program's innovative features have helped to make it a source of increased attention from surrounding areas.

But for now, continuing the center's success appears to be the primary concern.

As Manning effectively concluded, "People have really great ideas, my job is to make those ideas happen."

For more information on the Community Engagement Center, contact Rebecca Manning at 207-209-5497 or Rebecca. Manning@MSAD60.org.